Marco
,
18

The word potential is defined as “capable of becoming”; but for Marco the word has a new meaning.

With his innate desire to travel the world and thirst for knowledge, meeting the Pope in Italy quickly presented itself as the ideal wish. Though Marco anticipated Italy would provide him with memories of meeting the Pope and exploring a city he had only previously seen on the pages of a textbook, he did not anticipate another gift Italy would give him and his family. Hope.

“Hope is a great thing and it is always something that can change your life” described Marco’s parents. “We believe this experience truly gave Marco hope.”

Between tours of the Coliseum, the Roman Forum and the Spanish Steps, Marco was captivated by the history the city possessed. Among his favorite tourist destinations were the Vatican museums.

“I just found the Rooms of Raphael and the Sistine Chapel as such an amazing display of human potential,” Marco explained, “I was in awe.”

Acknowledging the challenges their family has endured since Marco’s cancer diagnosis, his parents expressed the potential they saw hidden within the wish.

“We also wanted him to appreciate the opportunity and to realize how big of a difference someone or some group can make in his life,” explained Marco’s parents. “Hopefully he can learn to pass on his experience to make an impact on someone else.”

Encompassing the human potential Marco witnessed first hand beneath the Sistine Chapel and the potential for hope Marco’s parents described seeing come alive within their son, the true potential of Marco’s wish lies in the previously unforeseen capacity of his future beyond illness. That is potential.

A special thank you to Kelly Walsh High School for their fundraising efforts. It is because of their continued support and potential they see in Make-A-Wish ® Wyoming, we are able to grant the wishes of wish kids like Marco across the state.